Plastic: Price, environment, and the future

The biggest threat to the conventional plastics industry is most likely tobe environmental concerns, including the release of toxic pollutants, greenhouse gas, litter, biodegradable and non biodegradable landfill impact as a result of the production and disposal of petroleum and petroleum based plastics. Of particular concern has been the recent accumulation of enormous quantities of plastic trash in ocean gyres, particular the North Pacific Gyre, now known informally as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or the Pacific Trash Vortex. For decades one of the great appeals of plastics has been their low price. Yet in recent years the cost of plastics has been rising dramatically. A major cause is the sharply rising cost of petroleum, the raw material that is chemically altered to form commercial plastics. With some observers suggesting that future oil reserves are uncertain, the price of petroleum may increase further. Therefore, alternatives are being sough. Oil shale and tar oil are alternatives for plastic production but are expensive. Scientists are seeking cheaper and better alternatives to petroleum based plastics, and may candidates are in laboratories all over the world. One promising alternative may be fructose.